Don't Forget Me (revised)
by Spamano4ever
Summary: Antonio and Lovino are happy. They're getting married soon, and they have everything they could ever want. But, a single accident changes everything, and now, with someone stalking Lovino, on top of other problems, Antonio must hurry to find a solution, or risk losing the love of his life forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Here begins another rewrite. This one will most likely be vastly different from the other, so I will probably change the title, I just don't know what to yet.**

* * *

It was July 3, 2010.

This date had two meanings to Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, the personification of Spain. The first meaning was it was the five year anniversary of his nation declaring it legal for same gendered couples to marry. The second, it was the anniversary of when he had began to date his boyfriend, Lovino Vargas, the personification of South Italy. He couldn't remember how long ago it was that they had gotten together, but he did know that he loved the other with every single beat of his heart and all the breath in his body. Now, he wanted to take it further.

He was going to propose.

Antonio had decided to ask Lovino to marry him the day it became legal in his country. The only thing that had stopped him at the time was not having money to pay for a wedding, or even an engagement ring. He had spent the last five years saving up money, and, with a ring in his pocket, enough money to have the wedding and honeymoon the Italian deserved, he was ready to propose.

The two were sitting together in Antonio's backyard, relaxing together on the patio. They were watching the sun set, eating dinner together in the peaceful quiet of the Spanish countryside. It had been a beautiful day from start to finish: both had woken early to eat breakfast together, then they'd showered, dressed, and spent most of the day in the nearby town.

They spent a few hours in the park, then went to the theater. It was the last day Kick-Ass would be playing, and as it was on it's fourth week, they had the theater to themselves. The couple ended up talking through most of the movie, occasionally laughing at some parts, and enjoying the impossible fight scenes. After this, they went to lunch, did some shopping, then returned home.

Finally, Antonio knew it was time. With the light casting a soft, orange tone over their surroundings, he turned in his seat to look at the man beside him.

"Lovino, I... have some things I want to tell you," he said, getting the Italian's attention. He stood up and moved to be in front of Lovino standing a few feet away.

"We've been together a long time. Longer than I can remember, in all honesty. Through thick and thin, during wars and recessions, struggle and prosperity... Your support through all of it has kept me going. Even before we started dating, you were there for me. I just appreciate all you've done for me so much, Lovi." He went down onto his knee, pulling the ring box from his pocket, opening it and showing the silver, diamond studded engagement ring. "Will you marry me?"

Lovino was utterly speechless. He looked between Antonio and the ring, his eyes filling with tears. He nodded, and his voice finally broke through, "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you."

Antonio smiled brilliantly, taking the ring and slipping it onto Lovino's finger carefully. He began to cry as well, overcome with joy. He scooped the other man up into his arms, kissing him with a deep passion, the Italian returning with a kiss of his own.

He sat down, holding Lovino on his lap, the pair smiling and laughing through their tears.

"I'm sorry I made you wait so long," Antonio murmured in his ear, kissing the side of Lovino's face softly. "I just wanted to make sure it would be absolutely perfect first. You deserve so much, and I want to be able to give it all to you."

Lovino wiped his eyes with his sleeve, clearing away his tears before responding. "You're so dumb, Toni. As long as I'm with you, I have everything I could ever want. You loving me is all I want, and I have that. I don't need anything else."

The Spaniard chuckled lightly. "You do have my love; all of it. I will never love anyone else as much as I love you. You are my entire world, and I want you to know that. I promise, I'll be with you forever, no matter what happens."

"You better be," Lovino said, settling back against Antonio's chest. "As much as you say you need me and I help support you, it's the same the other way, you know. I need you, too."

Antonio nodded, wrapping his arms around the Italian. "I won't let anything come in between us, ever. Our bosses, the other nations, or anyone else. I'll never stop loving you, Lovino, even when I'm long dead and the world has forgotten me."

Blushing lightly, Lovino turned around and kissed the other. "Don't say silly things like that." When Antonio just smiled at him, he sighed and relented, saying, "It's the same for me to you. You will always have my love, no matter what."

With this, the couple stood up and went inside and to bed, putting an end to their perfect day.


	2. Chapter 2

**So far, I like this version much better than other other. I hope you all do too.**

* * *

The next few days were more than a little chaotic. The first to learn the news were their siblings, North Italy-known also as Feliciano and Portugal-known as Belmiro. They were invited over for dinner, and there, Lovino showed them his ring as Antonio explained the good news.

Feliciano cried almost as much as they had, overcome with happiness for his big brother. He knew their long history, and just couldn't believe they could finally, _finally_ be together openly and no one could say anything to them. Well, legally speaking, at the very least, but that was better than nothing, and certainly better than it used to be!

Belmiro didn't have as emotional a response, but it was clear to see he was proud of his brother. He walked over to the slightly shorter man and gave him an affectionate noogie. Antonio whined and wiggled in his grasp, trying to escape as he complained that he was hurting him.

"Nah, you're just a huge ninny. Besides, I've seen Lovino headbutt you harder than this," he laughed, allowing him to move away to a safe distance.

Antonio pouted, rubbing his head and hiding partially behind his new fiance. "It's different when Lovi does it," he claimed. He looked at the Italian in front of him. "Kiss it better?"

Lovino immediate instinct was to say hell no, but, seeing Antonio's apparently genuine distress, he swallowed his pride and lightly kissed his head, blushing brightly all the while.

While Antonio cheered and declared Lovino a magical kissing healer, Feliciano joined Belmiro in his laughter, teasing his brother about his red face and sweet side. Lovino told him to shut his hole. Soon after, the two left, leaving the couple with some peace and quiet.

"Well that was an ordeal," Lovino groaned, dropping heavily onto the couch, leaning over the back to look at his fiance as Antonio went around cleaning up the dishes and extra food. "Did we have to tell them now? Couldn't we have waited until we were already married to let them know what happened?"

"I suppose we could have," the Spaniard answered thoughtfully. "But wouldn't they need to know to be in and/or go to the wedding? Or did you not want them there?"

"Don't be stupid. I'm just complaining for the sake of complaining. Of course I want them there. Family is important to us both, I would never do something as selfish as not let you have your brother there. Your friends on the other hand-"

He was cut off but Antonio coming over and kissing him, and the older man laughed brightly as Lovino spluttered indignantly. "If you'll let Belmiro come, there is no way you won't let Francis and Gilbert be there too. Besides, aren't you and Gil friends now?"

"Hey, hating him less does not mean I like him or see him in any positive light. It just means I hate him less. ... He tells great blackmail stories about Ludwig, that's all," Lovino protested.

"Of course, Lovi, whatever you say," Antonio chuckled, heading into the kitchen to wash the dishes. Lovino let a smile appear on his face. It had been a fun evening, complaints aside. Most of them were just for show anyway. He was... happy. Really happy.

His life had been a huge struggle. Day after day of all kinds of shit happening to him, and he was going to enjoy the happiness he had earned now, goddammit. Nothing could take this from him.

He repositioned himself on the couch, right-side-up. He was a little light headed from being upside down so long, but stood up and went into the kitchen as well. Antonio was finishing putting the food away, the dishes stacked up in the sink to be washed.

When he closed the fridge, Lovino lightly took his hand. "Let's go for a walk," he suggested softly. "It's nice outside and warm." Antonio agreed right away, and they left the kitchen as it was. They could do them tomorrow if they got back late.

* * *

They walked into the main area of the town, only a few streets away from their home. Many other people were out enjoying the warm evening air as well, from parents walking with children, to groups of teenagers, to other couples both young and old. Lovino wrapped his arms around one of Antonio's, resting his head against the other's shoulder as they walked and talked about whatever came to their heads. They knew everything about the other, yet somehow never ran out of things to say, observations to make, or things to realize about one another.

Many of the shops were still open, and they did some window shopping, going into a couple, though not buying anything since neither had brought money along. Finally, they stopped and sat on one of the many benches that lined the main street, doing some quality people watching, watching the people of Spain interacting with one another and living their lives.

Antonio was glad they could be out together like this. He was especially glad his country had quickly become one of the most accepting of LGBT rights. Not that there weren't people who didn't like it, or felt it was wrong, but they were uncommon and in the vast minority. For the most part, everyone was happy and accepting, and life was beautiful.

As the sun sank below the horizon, the sky turned from blue, to orange, to red, and finally deep, dark blue. The street lights came on, keeping the area bright and friendly.

The two shared a sweet, soft kiss, then started home, leaving the lights of the main road to walk on the darker streets. Street lights lined the road and sidewalk, but without the stores, they couldn't keep the area as illuminated.

They walked along in a peaceful silence, hand in hand. As they turned onto their street, they heard the sound of quick footsteps behind them as someone approached. They didn't turn to look, just moving to the side to let the person go by, figuring it was just a jogger.

But it wasn't a jogger.

The runner pulled up short behind them, and the two heard an all to familiar sound: the click of a gun being prepped to fire.

Without even thinking, Lovino grabbed Antonio, throwing himself between the danger and his fiance. His clumsy nature betrayed him then, and he tripped, starting to fall.

The next few moments were a blur to Antonio. He could see it piece by piece, but when it was all put together, he couldn't make sense of it.

He heard the gun fire. He heard a bone cracking. He saw Lovino fall. He felt the Italian's blood on his arms, hands, and shirt. He could see the hole... the hole in Lovino's head...

He sank to his knees, cold from shock, the Italian's body in his blood covered arms. "L... Lovi...?" he croaked, his voice low, cracking as he spoke.

The gun man spat at him, screaming something about the disgustingness of homosexuals, how Lovino deserved to die. How he would die too. Antonio couldn't move, and he looked up blankly at the gun barrel pointed at his forehead.

He watched the man's lips moving, but heard nothing. He felt cold twisting in his stomach and he lost track of what was happening.

What happened, was the man telling Antonio he would see him in hell. Before he could fire, the Spaniard reached out and crushed the barrel in his hand, leaving a useless hunk of broken metal in the man's hand. "What... have you done... to Lovino..." he muttered, gently laying the downed Italian on his side and standing, looking down at the man before him who shrunk back as he realized he had attacked the wrong couple.

With a single punch, he was thrown to the other side of his street, his skull caved in. Antonio felt no sympathy. He removed his shirt, then picked Lovino put gently, bunching up his shirt and using it to block the exit wound.

He didn't come back to his senses until he was at the hospital, having no memory of how he had gotten there. He was sitting in the ER waiting room, and a nurse was sitting beside him, talking to him calmly, a hand on top of his. "-e? Sir? Please, if you can hear me, say something."

"I can hear you," he managed. "W-Where is Lovino? Is he okay? Can I see him?"

"Lovino is the man you carried here, yes?" When he nodded, she continued. "He's in surgery right now. The doctors are skeptical, but I feel like he'll pull through. He's lost a lot of blood though. We won't know until he wakes up how extensive the damage to his brain is."

Antonio had started crying when she said he would survive and didn't hear a word more. "Y-You're Italian, aren't you," he sniffed, surprising her.

"I-Uh, yes. Yes, I am. How did you know? I've lived in Spain since I was seven and I've never been back," she said, looking at him in confusion.

"Just... a feeling I had," he murmured. Of course, he felt a connection to this woman as she considered herself Spanish, but it wasn't as strong as with other Spanish people, and she had a feeling about Lovino's health, so most likely she was from somewhere in Southern Italy, but he didn't ask. It didn't matter. Only Lovino mattered.

He stayed in the hospital all night. One of the other staff members gave him a new shirt, and at one point he found himself on the phone, though he didn't remember going over to it or dialing. Numbly he told Feliciano and his brother about the night's events, and both promised to be there soon.

Antonio didn't know how long it had actually taken them to get there. Time didn't mean anything to him currently. All he knew was in one moment he was alone, in the next, his brother was there, then Feliciano with the German nation, Ludwig. The three stayed with him until Lovino was out of surgery, then they waited as he went to see him.

Antonio walked down the long hospital hall, feeling as though it was never going to end. When he finally reached Lovino's room, he took a deep, steadying breath, then opened the door and went in.

The room was dark and quiet, lite only by the machines, the soft beeping of the heart monitor filling the room. Lovino was laying still in the center of the bed, but Antonio could see the slight rise and fall of his chest. He reached the side of the bed and gently took his hand, and his vision blurred as his eyes filled with tears.

"Lovi... Oh, Lovi..." he sobbed, struggling to breath. The other three nations entered not long after, and they got him settled in a chair by the bed, helping to calm him down. A doctor came in and spoke briefly to Belmiro, then left again.

"They're going to let him stay, but we have to go," he told the two. "I have a key to his house, we'll stay there tonight and come check on him in the morning." They asked Antonio if he would be alright and he gave a short nod, then they left, leaving him alone in the dark room.


End file.
